Rodger Saffold believes Todd Gurley is back on the same page as the offensive line

Todd Gurley’s disappointing sophomore season can be blamed on a lot of things – the majority of which don’t fall directly on his shoulders. Truly baffling coaching decisions, an almost non-existent passing game and a swiss cheese offense line all combined to create an almost impossible situation for Gurley to succeed in.

Almost.

According to ESPN NFL Insider K.C. Joyner, there were opportunities that Gurley missed of his own volition that contributed to one of the worst offenses in recent history. Joyner noted that Gurley’s failure to take advantage of good blocking attempts with the same efficiency that he did in his Offensive Rookie of the Year showing in 2015 played a role in the offense’s overall dysfunction.

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Gurley has maintained throughout the offseason that he is fully committed to putting his rough season behind him by not just improving himself and his skill set but also by putting the success of the team over his individual success.

And veteran offensive guard Rodger Saffold recently noted that Gurley’s work in the offseason has been making a difference.

“It’s more just kind of figuring out the speed out of the backfield that he needs,” Saffold said. “Once you get that down, then you kind of see the mesh of what we’re trying to get done. He knows what we’re trying to do on the offensive line as far as front side and back side. So, he knows where the play is going. Inside, with our wide zones and our inside zones, I think he’s attacking where we want the ball to go a lot better. And I think he’s letting things develop, too. Letting things develop on the inside, but on the outside he’s really pushing that edge, and it’s opening up some things for him.”

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The presence of more veterans on the line, including huge free agent acquisition Andrew Whitworth at left tackle as well as John Sullivan at center, has likely been a factor in Gurley’s improved ability to communicate more effectively with his teammates.

If Sean McVay and Matt LaFleur can just manage to mold Jared Goff and the receiving corp into a legitimate passing unit, Gurley will have everything he needs to facilitate a comeback season.